Welcome Home
by goldfishlover73
Summary: Bulma watches Vegeta out in the yard. She can't believe it. He's alive. After Majin Buu


Bulma watched Vegeta from the window. He sat motionless in the yard, leaning back on his left arm, his right arm propped up on a bent knee. His head tilted up as he gazed up at the starry sky. A tightness filled her chest as a knot formed in her throat. She swallowed heavily as she watched him, her hands settling across her chest, trying to warm herself from the cold that was creeping up her spine.

_He's home_.

As if he felt her stare, his head tilted slightly. In the moonless night, she could barely make out the whites of his eyes as they locked with hers. When he moved his gaze upward once again, she let out a shaky breath.

With a trembling step, she headed for the door.

The night was surprisingly warm, a small gust of wind moving around her, rustling the grass. She stood next to him, a comfortable silence filling the dark night. She watched him as the knot in her throat grew larger when she felt his large, _familiar_, calloused hand wrapped around her thigh. His warmth burned as his fingers dug lightly into her skin.

"The boy in bed?" Vegeta spoke softly into the night, squeezing her leg slightly. It sounded the same, though calmer than usual. It was like nothing happened.

Like he didn't die.

She smiled, swallowing the lump, blinking back tears. "Out like a light."

"Hmmm…" she saw his eyes flicker towards her before going back to the stars.

"You died." His voice was slightly rougher, this thumb rubbing small circles into her leg.

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Me!? You-you...you weren't coming back…" Her voice was small. He slowly retracted his hand from her leg, his head moving to look into the darkness in front of them. She took the silent invitation to sit.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you." He said after a few minutes. She looked over to him blinking back the tears. She unfolded her hands from her chest and shakily reached out to him. She pressed her hand against his face. Its familiar warmth burned her fingers.

"Oh Veg-"

With inhuman speed, Vegeta's arm wrapped around her middle, pulling her into him roughly. Before she could blink, he hand her in a crushing hug, inhaling her scent, his shoulders shaking slightly. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, her head finding the crook in his and like a damn breaking, sobbed heavily.

They sat there, him moving his hand up and down her back as she trembled into him. "You were _dead,_ Vegeta!" she pulled him closer to her. "You weren't coming back!" she choked. "What-what was I going to do without you?!"

"You know you would have raised the boy properly." He said gruffly into her hair.

She let out a half laugh-half wail. "No, you jerk! What was _I _going to do without you!?"

The three word sentence, unspoken, almost taboo, and hung silently between them.

He held her tightly, threatening to snap her in half. She didn't care.

"You are strong." He whispered. "You have always been strong. It is what I value in you the most." He released his grip slightly, pulling back to look at her. Her heart stopped at the furrowed brows and glossy eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, eyes roaming her face. His left hand came up her back to her neck, his fingers curling around the base, his palm cupping her face, his thumb brushing her tears away. "Kakarot told me you…and Trunks…" he diverted his eyes, but didn't let go. She almost laughed; hearing Trunks' name fall from Vegeta's lips was always strange. He smirked, "It wasn't until Kakarot told me before I would do that…'fusion'…" he said with slight distaste. Bulma's chest expanded as butterflies erupted in her chest. His scowled, eyes flashing towards her before looking away. He tried to pull his hand away before she grabbed his wrist.

"Vegeta…" she breathed. She felt his pulse quicken under her fingers. She smiled. She pulled on his wrist slightly, making his eyes look back to her. She pressed her lips to his, which he instantly took control, pulling his hand out of her grasp easily before trapping her face between his hands, kissing her deeply. Everything she knew he couldn't say with words he said with his kiss. He desperately pulled her close, shifting her so she straddle him his hands moving up and down her arms, her sides, her legs, before wrapping around her body, pressing her as close to him as he could. She moaned into him, pressing her body against his, her fingers digging into his hair, pulling on it hard, reassuring herself it was real.

The wind blew, chilling her heated skin as Vegeta buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. He let out a low growl as he pulled at her shirt, ripping it with ease, hands moving lightly up her sides.

She pulled harshly at his thick locks before moving to the base of his neck. Her fingers had memorized the muscle lines before, but her heart still screamed to check-to make sure this was really _her_ Vegeta. To prove he was alive.

He kissed her neck gently as he swallowed her up in his arms. A pool of heat pool just below her belly button as he kissed her collar bone.

"It won't happen again." He whispered his breath against her chest. She looked down to see his brow furrowed his eyes narrow as they looked past her. "I will not leave you again. I will be here to protect you. To protect our son." He pulled her close, almost _nuzzling_ into her. She couldn't help but smile.

"Welcome home, Vegeta."

He grunted, leaning up to kiss her.


End file.
